“I’ll do my best to come and check on you,” she says, swooping in and giving me a hug, careful of my baby bump.“Stay strong and try to rest the best you can, honey.”
“I’ll do my best,” I promise in her ear.
I follow the guy out the back door and to one of the utility vehicles they have around the massive farm.I hop in the passenger side, and he radios someone about heading over to building twenty-three.It takes a while, but we eventually stop in front of one of the small shacks that looks no bigger than an old-timey outhouse.
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I step off the vehicle and watch as the guy comes around and opens the wooden door.Inside there’s another door with stairs that lead down.My legs stand frozen at the thought of going down in a bunker again.How long will I be in this one?What if I’m down here and the baby comes?
Panic threatens to choke me, and I take a stride backwards.
“Don’t even think about it,” the guys says when he turns and sees me not following in behind him.
“I-I can’t do this again,” I say shaking my head.
“It’s bigger once you get down there,” is all he says before grabbing my tender arm and pulling me down underground.My legs threaten to give out once we make it to the bottom.“This one’s the nicest one we have, so you should be thankful.”
I scoff at the thought thatthisis what he calls nice.The underground room is much bigger than the tornado shelter, and there is an actual toilet in the far corner of the room.Two sets of bunkbeds are on the opposite side with real mattresses and a table in the center of the room.
“Someone will be stationed by the first door at all times, so don’t try anything,” he tells me as he looks around.
He doesn’t wait for a response and takes off up the stairs and out of sight.The slam of the door and the click of the lock going into place echoes before I take a full breath.I walk over to the table and place my two bags down then check out the bunkbeds.I need some rest, and then I’ll come up with my next plan.Papa had mentioned that Mr.Sanchez would be here in a few days, so I’m going to need all my energy if I’ve got a bigger battle to fight so soon.
Curling up on the bottom mattress, my body melts into the soft material.My little man gives me a swift kick, and I feel a foot or hand against the side of my tummy.I place my hand there and smile.
“Don’t worry, baby boy, I’ll figure something out,” I say reassuringly.“And if I can’t, then Daddy will bring hell with him to find us.”
My eyes and body are heavy with the weight of what the next few days will bring.The baby must sense my anxiousness because he continues to bang on my ribs and bladder.I wince at another shot to the side of my body and place my hand directly over the spot I feel being pressed against.Closing my eyes, I quietly sing the song my mother used to sing to me to calm me.I’ve been doing it since he began using me as a human punching bag.
“You are my sunshine…”
“I’m sorry, Havoc, but she passed,” I hear Ian say over the phone.
We knew this was coming two days ago when the doctors broke the news when we thought Sutton was lying in that hospital bed.Two days since we learned that my woman wasn’t in the explosion and is out somewhere in the world being held against her will.
“Thanks for calling,” I say then end the call.
An ache in my chest starts to form.Not because I feel any certain way about my ex but for my little boy.He doesn’t really know his mother, but one day he’s going to ask about her, and I dread those conversations.No kid wants to hear that the person who gave birth to them was blown up out of revenge.
“Who was that?”Reaper asks from the chair beside me.We’re in Stone’s office with four Dead Road MC presidents from different chapters.We’ve called in over two hundred men to help us raid the cult’s farm and today is D-day.
“Ian.Debbie died,” I say with no emotion.I’ve locked up everything in me to focus on the mission we’re about to embark on.I’ve never been so anxious about any of the protection runs before, but this one hits different.This one involves the love of my life and the mother of my unborn child.There’s no room for mistakes today, and I can’t have any outside influences trying to distract me.
“Sorry to hear that, man,” Reaper says, trying to sound caring, but we all knew what a bitch my ex was.I turn in his direction lifting an eyebrow.“For Zane.You know we didn’t care for her, but it sucks for your boy.I know what it feels like to not have a present dad or mom.”
Reaper had a rough start in life that ended up with him in prison at the age of sixteen.He spent ten years behind bars for choices he made.While he was locked up, he came across an MC member who vouched for him once he was released back into civilian living.
“Zane hasn’t batted an eye about Debbie.He just wants to know when Sutton is coming back,” I say, watching as Stone goes over the farm property layout.“Was calling her mama the last few weeks before all this shit happened.”
“You sure this woman is worth all this trouble?”Reaper asks and draws my attention back to him.
My hands ball up into fists at his words, and I look him dead in the eyes.
“I’d burn down this entire fucking town to the ground to find her,” I tell him.My back molars press together so hard a jolt of pain shoots up to my temples.
Reaper puts his hands up in surrender.“Had to ask, brother.”
“Just wait ’til you find your queen, you’ll know what I’m talking about,” I tell him.
He looks down for a moment, his face shifts to something softer for a brief second, like he’s remembering something—or someone.Shaking his head as if to rid his brain of memories, he turns back to me.